Amusement apparatus.



L. DRBIFUSS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1914.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

by I 4 Attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS co., PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING TON. L) c,

L. DREIPUSS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY13, 1914.

1,1 33,623. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

brezfw l Attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS Cc, F'HOTG-LITHO.. WASHANG TON. D C.

* FEE STATES 'ATENT FFlfClhl.

LEOPOLD DREIFUSS, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO EMILE P. ANTOHO'VICE, (3F SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 36 EH5.

Application filed July 13, 1914. Serial N 0. 850,691.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LnoPoLD DREIFUSS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in an amusement apparatus, one object of the invention, being the provision of a vehicle arrangement, each one of which is constructed to simulate a spinning top, and to provide means for seating one or more persons, such vehicle being so constructed and arranged, that the carrying portion is the only portion visible, and while the truck or vehicle portion is being propelled, the vehicle body portion is rotated, the same being carried along to perform different curves to simulate the movement of a spinning top and at the same time give a view to the surrounding scenery which is preferably of a natural or artificial landscape.

A further object of the present invention, is the provision of a vehicle mounted upon a vertical or single standard and rotatable thereabout as its axis, the lower carrying section being rotated at a fixed slow speed, so as not to be uncomfortable to the occupant, while the upper section is rotated at a. more rapid speed to give the appearance to an onlooker that the complete carrying member is rotated at a great and high speed.

A still further object of the present invention, is the provision of an amusement device in which the carrying member is constructed in the form or shape of a spinning top, while the truck is adapted to be disposed below the surface so that the standard carried and rotated thereby will be projected through a slot, the uppersurface of the round above the truck being covered with awn or any means so as to give the appearance that the top-shaped members are moving along upon the surface instead of being carried by the trucks below the surface.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in V the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herem disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the drawings-Figure l is a side elevation upon a reduced scale of one of the complete vehicle members exhibiting that portion shown above the ground. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the complete carrying member showing the method of mounting the truck below the surface and for maintaining the same in the desired position against all strain. Fig. 3 is a section on a reduced scale taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of the truck and a portion of the standard adjacent the slot. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2, showing the method of guiding the standard in the slot. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of one method of slot formation and general lay-out for the installation of the present apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the two rails which constitute the main carrying track, the same being preferably placed below the ground in a tunnel and having mounted thereupon, the car truck 52, carrying the casing 3, the said oasing 3 being provided with the four outwardly extending and upwardly inclined arms 4-, each one of which is provided with a roller 5 which engages the under side of the respective rails 6, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and thus cooperate with the rails 1 in maintaining the truck against upward movement during the movement thereof within the tunnel. The rails 6 are attached to the under side of the supporting structure 7 adjacent the faces of which are provided the rails or plates 8, the surface 10 being slotted as at 9 in Fig. 4, the purpose of which will presently appear.

A motor 11 is carried by the truck 2 for operating the same upon the rails l and within the tunnel below the surface 10, while a motor 12 is also carried by the truck, and is provided with a train of gears having the beveled gear 13 which is in mesh with to operate the large bevel gear 1 which is rotatably mounted upon the vertical stand ard 15 which is stationary and carried by the truck, such standard being projected through the space 9 above the surface and being surrounded by the rotatable tube 13 whose lower end is fast to the gear 14 and through which it is rotated. 

